


Slope

by galaxyhitchiker



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Infinity (Marvel), M/M, Nightmares, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Pre-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Sad Ending, Tony Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-30
Updated: 2016-06-04
Packaged: 2018-06-10 01:25:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6932287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galaxyhitchiker/pseuds/galaxyhitchiker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a rise and fall to everything.</p><p>Tony should've known.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rise

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has been translated into Vietnamese! You can find it here: @giaoogoodle.wordpress.com

_It's silent._

_That's the first thing he notices._

_It's silent, and as far as the eye can see there exists the beautiful oceans of outer space, a myriad of stars twinkling in and out of view, navy, crimson, violet swathes of color painted across the canvas-_

_And the dead bodies._

_They're everywhere, oh god, everyone lying motionless, still, heaped upon each other. Body over body over body and he knows there isn't a single heartbeat left in anyone._

_There's Thor, hair matted with blood and cape billowing on the ground, Clint sitting upright with a line of blood trickling down his forehead, Natasha's scarlet hair surrounding her head like a halo, the Hulk's usual fiery spirit dissipated-_

_Tony looks down._

_Steve is immobile on the ground. The usually shining patriotic colors of his uniform now look faded and dark, hair dusty, and beautiful eyes glassy. Blank._

_Then Tony can't breathe, can't think, can't do anything because Steve is dead, the entire team is dead, where is he- what's happening? Kneeling down, he presses two fingers to Steve's throat although he already knows there won't be a pulse, no heartbeat, because he's fucking dead. Dead._

_Breaths rapid and shallow, he begins to pull away, slowly, but there's a hand grabbing his arm._

_"You could have saved us," a familiar voice chokes out. There's a trickle of blood from Steve's nose._

_A sound echoes in the distance, like metal grinding against metal, a cry of victory and death._

_He looks up- really looks up- and stops._

_Countless beasts, exterior plated skin rippling, snaking through the skies in throngs of flashing silver. Each leviathan heading over him, towards a gaping incursion, the bright azure of a healthy planet peeking through the hole. They're everywhere._

_His friends are all dead._

_Steve is dead._

_They're fucking everywhere-_

 


	2. Fall

**_2014: Avengers Tower_ **

 

"Tony? Tony? Wake up!"

Someone's shaking him, and as soon as Tony opens his eyes he sits up in bed, trembling, tears uncomfortably sticking to his cheeks. They're safe, he's okay- the only things surrounding him are the familiar furnishings of their bedroom in Stark Tower, dark, quiet, with moonlight casting a faint glow atop everything.

Tony turns to his right, breathing heavily, to see Steve looking at him worriedly, lips parted. He looks down. Their fingers are entwined together, and then he feels a hand caressing his face.

"Sweetheart," Steve coaxes quietly, and it's all Tony can do to stop himself from falling apart right then and there.

"I just- it's- I'm fine," he says even as his voice cracks. "A nightmare. That's all."

Cautiously, slowly, Steve kisses him. Once. It's sweet and long and relaxes Tony more than he'd like to admit. "Tell me. Tell me what happened in it. You have this almost every week, Tony. The same one."

How does he know-

"You always say the same things before I wake you up," he adds. Tony's mouth is dry all of a sudden, because he doesn't know how to explain every precise moment of his dream, that happens over and over and over again, and just considers lying about it, making something up-

"And _don't_ lie to me."

Well, there's that.

Something in Steve's blue, blue eyes make him change his mind. But also because Captain America is pretty threatening when he wants to be. Tony begins, "It's what Wanda showed me when we first infiltrated Ultron's base. Just- just a vision."

A flicker of surprise.

"I'm standing on some dead planet in outer space and you're all dead, the team, the Avengers, everyone- Clint, Banner, Natasha, Thor, Hill, god, even you. And then I always look for your heartbeat even though I know it'll be gone, but you grab my hand and say 'you could've saved us,'-"

"Tony-"

"'You could've saved us,' and then, 'Why didn't you do more?' and then I look up and there are those massive Chitauri worms everywhere, in the sky, it's dark, and they're all heading towards another world- maybe our world- because you're right, it is my fault-"

"Tony!" Steve looks at him for a long second, and then wraps his arms around him tightly. Tony tries to respond the best he can, but his grip back is weak because his mind is all over the place, scattered, disorganized, more chaotic than it usually is, which is saying something. "Tony. Look at me, sweetheart."

Steve pulls back and Tony at him. He must surely look like a mess by now.

"Your nightmare," he starts, "is a nightmare. That will never happen."

"How do you know-"

"It won't. I promise. And even when things go wrong, I'd never blame you. You're everything to me, Tony. Everything." His voice is a mere whisper now. "Do you understand."

It's not even a question, but Tony answers anyway. "I understand."

He buries his face in Steve's shirt, fists clenched and knuckles pale.


	3. Consequence

**_2030_ **

 

It's silent.

That's the first thing he notices.

It's silent, and as far as the eye can see there exists the beautiful oceans of outer space, a myriad of stars twinkling in and out of view, navy, crimson, violet swathes of color painted across the canvas-

And the dead bodies.

Tony drops to his knees and cries and cries and cries.


End file.
